Colonial Voices
In Anne Bradstreet’s poem “As Weary Pilgrim, Now at Rest,” what does she long for when she says she will “soar on high among the blest”?
A. To feel blessed while alive
B. To join God and the angels in heaven
C. To see her husband again
D. To escape pain on earth
B. To join God and the angels in heaven
What is the main difference between ex nihilo and earth-diver creation stories?
A. One begins with nothingness, the other begins with water
B. One begins with light, the other begins with fire
C. One begins with a tree, the other with animals
D. Both begin from outer space
A. One begins with nothingness, the other begins with water
In “The First Snowfall,” Lowell compares snow to pearls. What device is this?
A. Hyperbole
B. Simile
C. Metaphor
D. Personification
C. Metaphor
Patrick Henry’s “Give me liberty” speech convinced colonists that…
A. They had enough resources to fight
B. Britain was ready to make peace
C. They should wait longer
D. War was impossible
A. They had enough resources to fight
In Langston Hughes’ “I, Too,” what does “I eat well and grow strong” suggest?
A. The speaker is preparing to reclaim his place in society
B. He feels ignored but content
C. He rejects community entirely
D. He thinks he is treated fairly
A. The speaker is preparing to reclaim his place in society
Jonathan Edwards compares sinners to spiders in “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God.” What point is he making?
A. Spiders symbolize God’s chosen creatures
B. People without faith are powerless, like a spider’s web against a stone
C. Spiders represent human beauty
D. Webs can save people from God’s wrath
B. People without faith are powerless, like a spider’s web against a stone
In emergence stories, what often signals a new world stage?
A. War
B. Singing or ritual magic
C. Floods
D. Darkness
B. Singing or ritual magic
Which line is written in iambic pentameter?
A. “Imagination! who can sing thy force?”
B. “Arise, my soul, on wings enraptured, rise”
C. “We wear the mask that grins and lies”
D. “I caught a tremendous fish”
A. “Imagination! who can sing thy force?”
In The Crisis, No. 1, Paine says “the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph.” What type of evidence is this?
A. Logical
B. Emotional
C. Scientific
D. Empirical
B. Emotional
What major factor besides immigration changed American identity?
A. Civil Rights struggles
B. Farming
C. Travel westward
D. Railroads
A. Civil Rights struggles
In “Before the Birth of One of Her Children,” Bradstreet shows colonial authors often wrote about __________.
A. Farming and harvests
B. Religion and mortality
C. Political elections
D. Travel and adventure
B. Religion and mortality
In the Hopi account of the Spanish mission, which elements are present? (Select two)
A. Cultural clashes between Spaniards and Hopi
B. Spaniards introducing new medicines
C. Hopi agrees with Spanish traditions
D. Hardships forced on the Hopi
A. Cultural clashes between Spaniards and Hopi
D. Hardships forced on the Hopi
Which poetic style is associated with reason, order, and references to classical ideals?
A. Romanticism
B. Neoclassicism
C. Modernism
D. Realism
B. Neoclassicism
According to Jefferson in the Declaration of Independence, governments get their power from…
A. Kings
B. God alone
C. Consent of the governed
D. Military strength
C. Consent of the governed
Whitman’s poem shows America through which voices?
A. The wealthy
B. Workers in diverse trades
C. Politicians
D. Soldiers only
B. Workers in diverse trades
What does the word incensed mean in Edwards’ sermon when he says God’s wrath was “incensed”?
A. Perfumed
B. Angered
C. Surprised
D. Sad
B. Angered
In many creation myths, what role do animals play?
A. They decorate the heavens
B. They help shape the earth
C. They teach humans to write
D. They prevent creation
B. They help shape the earth
In “I Hear America Singing,” what does the repetition of “singing” suggest?
A. Workers are united by joy
B. Workers are divided by struggle
C. Rich people control society
D. Music was America’s first industry
A. Workers are united by joy
Which sentence in the Declaration of Independence shows colonists hoped to be “enemies in war, but friends in peace”?
A. “We must acquiesce in separation, holding Britain enemies in war, in peace friends.”
B. “We have petitioned humbly.”
C. “He is unfit to be a ruler.”
D. “We must fight!”
A. “We must acquiesce in separation, holding Britain enemies in war, in peace friends.”
Why does Whitman highlight workers “singing”?
A. To show joy in everyday work
B. To warn against industrialization
C. To mock laborers
D. To unite farmers only
A. To show joy in everyday work
Why did Edwards use such intense imagery (like dangling over a pit of fire)?
A. To scare his listeners into repentance
B. To make them laugh at exaggeration
C. To describe literal weather
D. To entertain with storytelling
A. To scare his listeners into repentance
What does “ex nihilo” literally mean?
A. From water
B. From nothing
C. From darkness
D. From energy
B. From nothing
What is personified in Anne Bradstreet’s poetry?
A. Houses and clothing
B. Rivers and birds
C. Weapons
D. Kings
A. Houses and clothing
What was Paine’s purpose in listing groups who favored reconciliation with Britain?
A. To show reconciliation was harmful and dangerous
B. To praise them for loyalty
C. To suggest a new compromise
D. To emphasize British power
A. To show reconciliation was harmful and dangerous
Early American identity in literature was shaped by…
A. European aristocracy
B. Letters and essays describing hardships
C. Wealthy elites only
D. Native silence
B. Letters and essays describing hardships